The Managing Director of the largest farmers’ cooperative is a worried man in the wake of report of poor monsoon coupled with specter of El Nino.
Reuters report that India has downgraded this year’s monsoon forecast to 88 percent of the long-term average, raising fears of a drought in the country where nearly half of farmland lack irrigation facilities.
IFFCO MD Dr. U S Awasthi tweeted “ #IFFCO lauds prompted efforts & preparations of #GOI to deal poor & deficient #Monsoon @RadhamohanBJP. Affective contingency plans are must.”
In another tweet Awasthi warns of El Nino entering Australia and exhorts India to prepare well in advance. Dr. U S Awasthi tweeted “ #Australia officially entered #ElNino. More hotter days, less rain & pain 4 their farmers. #India should prepare 4 such kind of situation.”
The agriculture ministry has put in place contingency plans for about 580 districts to meet any exigencies arising due to a delay in the annual rains, report Reuters.
The monsoon typically covers half of the country by mid-June, and the entire country by mid-July, helping farmers to plant summer crops such as rice, soybean, cane and cotton.
“Contingency plans contain specific advisory to meet delay or deficiency in rains,” said KK Singh, head of the agromet division of the weather office.
The monsoon has already missed its 1 June deadline to hit the Kerala coast. On Monday, the Indian Meteorological Department had postponed the date by another five days to 5 June when it is expected to make a landfall in Kerala.
The rains support two-thirds of India’s 125 crore population who live in rural areas and rely on farming.